Following is Friday's column as submitted SL4-11-14 RISTORI FOR FRIDAY LEGISLATIVE ATTEMPT TO ALLOW STRIPER SALES A PROBLEM by Al Ristori While conservationists are worried about a drop in abundance of our most important inshore game fish, a couple of N.J. legislators have introduced bills that will weaken the "no sale" status of striped bass in the state. State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Dist. 26, Union-Elizabeth) and Assemblywoman Marlene Caride (D-Dist. 36 - Ridgefield) are seeking to allow the sale and processing of striped bass caught out-of-state. There's already a problem with illegal sales of stripers (it's hardly news that "grouper" on area restaurant menus is probably illegal striped bass), and the loophole being proposed in those bills will encourage the cheaters and make enforcement much more difficult. Ironically, Lesniak's S691 begins with a conservation objective of banning sales of shark fins in the state before going in the opposite direction to allow the out-of-state striped bass that will likely not only make illegal sales much easier but also reward states with poor conservation practices that are decimating the coastal migratory run which provides most of the summer and fall striped bass fishery in New Jersey. Restaurants can legally bring in farm-raised hybrid stripers and not interfere with the economic and recreational benefits to the state's fishermen from a healthy migratory fishery. The Raritan Bay striped bass fishery has been very late to develop after the brutally cold and snowy winter followed by a near-record cold spring. Yet, Dave Lilly of Hazlet saw earthworms emerging from the cold ground during last week's rain, and said that was his signal that the season would begin. Several charter skippers, and the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands on Saturday, had tried clamming in the bay without success -- and there was still nothing doing when Capt. Joe Massa fished his My Three Sons out of Morgan Marina under good conditions Sunday. A breakthrough occurred the next day when Atlantic Bait & Tackle in Atlantic Highlands weighed two bass caught on clams from a boat by Brien George and Erik Demerest at 11 1/2 and 14 pounds. A couple of bay shore fishermen posted on the internet about releasing stripers of 33 and 36 inches Sunday after a long day of no action. They then stayed another hour without a hit. There was only a bit of encouragement yesterday morning when Capt. Lou Grazioso of Wall and I joined Chuck Many from Annandale on his new Ty Man from Gateway Marina in Highlands. The water temperature was 43 degrees when we left the river, and got up to 48 when we set up in five feet off Cliffwood. A small bass was hooked, but got off on the surface. About a half-hour later there was another "on-and-off" hit, but that was it for the half-day attempt as another stop off Belford prouced nothing in a rising south wind. The Sea Hunter also fished the back of the day without success, but with water temperatures up to 50 degrees on the way back this fishery is likely to explode any day. Capt. Stan Zagleski is getting started tomorrow with 7 a.m. daily sailings of his Elaine B. from Bahrs in Highlands for stripers. Zagleski is a blackfish specialist, but his son was diving this week on wrecks in 85 feet that still had no fish life since the water temperature was just 39 degrees on bottom with no thermocline. He doesn't expect anything to happen there until it gets up to about 43 degrees. Capt. Howard Bogan had good news after Sunday's mid-range wreck trip on his Jamaica from Brielle as some cod and pollock, along with a few ling and blackfish, were caught. Jigs and teasers produced about 60 percent of the cod and pollock, including three of each by Jose Lozano of Bergenfield -- who won the pool with a 29-pound pollock. The Jamaica will return to those mid-range wrecks the next two days at 4 a.m. Very cold water temperatures have been holding back bottom fishing even in deep waters closer to shore. At Belmar, the Golden Eagle got off to a good start Sunday with several keeper cod and blackfish on the first drop before subsequent attempts at various depths were unproductive. Daily trips started at 7:30 a.m. today. The Ocean Explorer has also been picking some keeper and short cod plus ling and a few tog. Bob Matthews, at Fisherman's Den, reported better catches of winter flounder from his rental boats and the bulkheads. Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, said flounder have been hitting bloodworms at both ends of Point Pleasant Canal as well as in the canal itself. The water temperature was up to 44 degrees over the weekend, and small blackfish were mixed in. He heard of at least six small stripers from 18 to 22 inches that were released last weekend on bloodworms by flounder fishermen at the Manasquan River end. The cod season in Massachusetts doesn't begin until Wednesday, with a 19-inch minimum and nine cod per man north of Cape Cod, but Capt. Jim McFarland sailed his first trip with Big Mac from Green Harbor this week to put the Harriston party from Bergen County into a good catch of big haddock plus pollock. New York's striped bass season opens Tuesday with a limit of one at a minimum of 28 inches plus another of greater than 40 inches. The Hudson River Fishermen's Association will run their 14th Striped Bass Derby on April 26 and 27 out of Atlantis Marina in Great Kills, Billy Joe's Ribworks in Newburgh, N.Y., and Croton (N.Y.) Yacht Club. The entry fee is $40, and the first prize is a Wavewalk catamaran fishing kayak with stand-up paddle. For an additional $35 you can enter the $100,000 optional pay-off for the largest bass over 50 pounds. For details visit www.stripedbassderby.com. My blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing is now on a daily basis provided there are any updates. The southern trophy bluefin tuna quota (from off Little Egg Harbor Inlet to the Gulf of Mexico) for large medium and giant bluefin tuna (73 inches up) in the Angling and Charter/Head Boat categories closes at 11:30 p.m. today as the mere 2.8 metric ton quota is projected to be filled. Catch and release fishing for them remains legal. A free surf fishing seminar for veterans will be run at 6 p.m. Thursday by Greg Kucharewski of the Monmouth County Veterans Advisory Council at the VFW Post, 212 Norwood Ave., Oakhurst. A rod and reel plus other door prizes will be awarded. Register by calling 732 785-9278. or by e-mail at gkucharews@jcaa. Field & Stream Magazine is sponsoring a Hero for a Day event along with Toyota in which as many as 300 volunteers are expected to help remove tons of washed-up trash in Edwin B, Forsythe Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A limited number of gift bags will be handed out, and one volunteer (18 and over) will win a $100 gift card. Volunteers will gather at 800 Great Creek Rd., Oceanville 08231. Boots are recommended for work on the shorelines. For information visit fieldandstream.com/heroforaday. The FCA Manhattan Cup moves across the river this year.It will be contested on Friday, May 16 out of Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City. For information visit www.manhattancup.com. END